Love Hina: Once Again
by Dark Glass01
Summary: It is said that if two people spend a night together in the Forbidden Annex, its magic would allow true love to conquer any hardship, no matter how extreme. For the moment, it seems as though Naru has defeated its spell, and nothing short of a miracle could save Kanako's beloved Oni-san from her clutches. However, the blessing of the Annex can be more powerful then mortal hand...
1. Chapter 1

**Love Hina: Once More**

**Author Notes: … I never thought I would be back here, after so long. But, after rediscovering my literary muse and dusting off my manga collection, I decided this needed to be done.**

**Warning: All characters, settings, and situations are part of the Love Hina franchise and are in no way, shape, or form owned by me. Step-Incestuous thoughts and actions will be present during this story; if this disturbs you, please do not read further. Please do not read this while driving or operating heavy machinery, as the writer is not responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of being distracted by this story. Please do not read if the country and/or province you are in bans you from using the internets. Restriction apply, results may vary, not valid in New Jersey, The Northwest Territories, or any country whos name starts with the letter E.**

**Prologue **

There was a certain peace to this particular night, a late spring night haning over the sleepy, hot-springs town of Hinata. There were no loud screams coming from that dormitory on the hill; no explosion or the sickening *pop* of something breaking the sound barrier. For once, it seems, those Hinata girls and their manager had managed to tucker themselves out, giving the local residents a peace they hadn't been able to enjoy in years. After their long trip across nearly the entire expanse of Japan, all they wanted to do was sleep.

With the entire town sleeping, the only noise that could be heard was the soft chirping of crickets, and the tinkling of bells as a black figure moved through the surrounding forests, returning from its nightly stroll. Coiling its feet, the tiny creature jumped, its ears fanning out as it gracefully landed on the sill of the Hinata Teahouse window, staring up over the cliffs, past the tops of the Forbidden Annex and up into the fully, silvery moon. It took a deep breath, savoring the crisp spring air; something almost magical in the air.

However, just as it was about to curl on on the sill to sleep, its ears perked up, a strange sound breaking the silence; almost like muffled heavy breathing. Its eyes rose up at that sound, looking for the source; a thin window overhead. Leaping down, padded paws silently moving over the floor, it jumped up the stairs and into the upper hallway, tracing the sound to a slightly ajar door, using its head to gently slid it in.

Inside, huddled up on the floor was a blob of brown comforter, gently shaking in the shadows, the soft, pitiful sound escaping from it… sobbing. Her ears drooped as she approached it, eyes lowering as she realized just what was going on, circling around the futon to see a mass of black hair hanging over a pillow, tear stains leaking out from their hiding place beneath the head that made them.

"Are you alright _meow_?" Kuro asked, placing a small, soft paw on her mistress's head.

In response, the little gothic girl pulled her face out of the pillow, her red eyes, swollen from crying, a far cry from her ordinarily straight-laced appearance. Small gasping and sobbing sounds still escaped her throat, unable to stop the flood even for her closest friend. "kur…" she managed to get out before breaking into a long, loud cry, turning her head away from the cat, raising a hand to try to hide her face. "What… are… you doing here?"

Kuro looked on her mistress with concern. "I heard you from outside _meow._" She tried to look around Kanako's hand, but she just turned away again, almost ashamed. "You're still thinking about it, aren't you?"

At that, Kanako's face contorted into almost distress, yanking the comforter over herself and curling up and holding it as tightly to her body as possible, as if giving herself a hug. The waterworks broke out full-blast, a river of regrets pouring down her face as her pet crawled into her lap, trying to comfort her. "You did everything you could _meow." _She tried to explain, gently purring against her mistress's chest. "Perhaps it was just not meant to be."

Kanako shook her head furiously, trembling as she buried her head in her knees, unable to get out a coherent response. Kuro tried to comfort her, tears matting her fur together as she looked up at her friend's devastated face. "Its not fair!" she managed to choke out, forcing her had upwards towards the window, flailing her head about angrily. "He's my oni-san… MINE! The skank Naru ..she tricked me… tricked me into thinking she cared…" She pulled Kuro close to her chest, the tiny cat almost choking for a moment at the force.

"She's so strong, so pretty, so popular, so smart… she already had everything a girl could want." The sobs started to come back, the anger fading away as she tried to make sense of her emotions, petting Kuro's soft fur. "Why Kuro… why did she have take my everything? Why did she have to hurt him so much? Why aren't I good enough? Why doesn't he love me?" Her words grew more and more ragged, until they dissolved into sobbing again, Kuro deftly floating out of Kanako's grip before she would have been smashed against her knees.

"You couldn't help it, mistress." Kuro, tried to reason with her, floating like an angel at her shoulder. "He'd already fallen for her by the time you came _meow._ Even the annex coulden't break them apart." Kanako lifted up her hand, gripping hard on the finger that had once born her greatest treasure… that silver ring which had born so much hope, her life's dream come true… now all it will do is leave a deep mark whenever she abuses him.

"I should have been there…" her voice became soulless, staring blankly out into the sky, rubbing the empty spot on her finger that still bore the indent of her ring. "Oni-san was so alone… so desperate… he had to have been, to fall for that she-witch." Kuro could tell she was trying to rationalize it, trying to grasp some comfort out of a now-shattered future. "I should have never listened to mother… he needed me, not to be cast alone into this… this harem of sadists and freaks. I just… just.."

An almost deathly silence filled the room, as she just sat there, hardly even breathing, before standing up, taking slow, measured steps towards the window, the night breeze blowing through her hair, staring down at the ground, the slightest of smiles coming onto her face.

"I wonder if Oni-san likes to fly…" she said, almost like she was in a trance, her arms resting on the sill, looking up at the moon. "I never thought I could ever be as brave as he was, but now… I'm not so scared anymore."

Kuro's ears, tail, and hair stood on end as she heard this, flying towards the window as Kanako leaned further and further forward, he face softening, as if almost… peaceful. Kuro raced forward, trying to intercept her mistress before she leaned out too far, the distance almost too far to close.

However, that is when she heard the ticking.

It echoed loudly throughout the night, as though the moon itself were a giant clock tower overhead, Kanako stopping as she opened her eyes, listening to the strange sound. Kuro, settling on the windowsill, gently nudged her back as she listened herself, even her catlike ears unable to locate the source of the noise. However, then they say it; from the steeple of the Annex, bolts of dark purple energy began to crackle, a light haze forming around the building as the ancient clock magically sprung to life, counting the second and minutes… only, to add even more surprise, the hands were moving backwards, the arcs of energy growing larger and more frequent gradually, and the movements of the hands growing faster and faster. Kanako gripped at her hand, letting out a small yelp as one of the arcs sprang like a bolt from the blue, burning against her ring finger. Once she recovered from her surprise and opened her eyes, she was amazed to see that ring, perfectly in every detail, once again gracing her finger… glinting almost mischviously in the moonlight. Yet, even then, everything seemed to almost start… swimming, even Kuro's voice and pleading meows becoming hard to understand, her body beginning to become hazy…

Everything seemed fade into a uniform pool of silver light, the weight of her troubles seeming to fade off her shoulders as Kanako floating in it, gradually loosening up, feeling herself grow lighter and lighter… warmth seeming to envelop her body, and a smooth, smooth softness, all accompanied by a slow, melodic ticking… almost like a lullaby. The light slowly seemed to morph, an image forming before her of a small, worn futon, a young girl in lavender pajamas sitting in a young boy's lap, a blank pulled up over her, a vaguely feminine shape sitting in a chair next to them, looking down with a smile on her face.

"_Now, don't you two ever try to break into Grandma's special annex every again, alright? Its sealed up for a reason."_

The girl seemed to whisper something softly under her breath, almost impossible to hear, but the boy spoke up for her. _"Why did Grandma seal such a big room away? Don't people want to stay there?"_

The feminine figure shook her head, placing a hand on the boy's head. "The building is a very special place. Lots of people used to call it the Inn of Faithful Unions. If two people go inside and spend a night together, the good spirits inside will bless them with eternal love and happiness. No matter what distance is between them, no matter what it takes, the blessing of the Inn will always find a way to bring them together." This seemed to cause the girl to look up in awe, her long bangs covering most of her face, while the boy gave a clearer look of wonderment, the feminine figure opening her mouth to say something else.

However, before she could do so, she suddenly heard a low, almost shocked shout, and the vision fell away, and Kanako found herself shooting up from a laying position, breathing heavily as her eyes adjusted to the light… and her face froze.

_That mirror… that poster… that closet… those weren't there before. _She continued scanning around, unable to move any part of her body other than her neck. She found herself in an eerily familiar room; a light blue comforter laid out over her lower body, and a small nightstand to her right. A small make-up kit, posters of actresses and shows that had long since faded from the spotlight, the hem of a black dress peeking out from the slightly open closet, a short bookshelf… and a mirror. But more then that, it was the voices from the hallway; light conversation by two people she knew all too well, that made her truly frightened. Then, after all of that, her eyes settled on a mirror.

Reflected back at her was a girl with bangs far too big for her head, framed by long strands of raven-black hair, a stray antenna sticking out from the top. She chest was nearly flat, her neck thin and her mouth small...

"_Hey Keitaro, telephone!" _she heard a firm voice call from down the hall, each word piercing her ears.

"_It's from your grandmother up at Hinata." _A gentler, if still authorize voice continued, almost sounding excited.

"No… really…" her voice sounded… confused, but happy, a small moan of happiness escaping her throat, her heart soring. For the moment, she was too happy, too filled with hope, to care about the oddity of the event; the legends were true; the magic of annex had worked a miracle.


	2. Chapter 2

Kanako almost leaped out of her bed in joy, bouncing off the mattress and running to the mirror, reaching up to push her bangs out of the way and revealing her eyes, wide with joy and childlike wonder. The texture of her cloths, the scratches on the wall… everything was so perfect in every detail. She turned her head fast, looking around her old room, so excited she even started to cry a little, her heart pounding hard in her chest. _This has to be a dream… _she pinched her arm to make certain, and sure enough the pain hit, causing her to yelp for a moment in surprise. She was so overwhelmed, she fell to her knees, hurried, excited prayers going up her throat to any spirit or god she should think of.

As she fell to the ground, hitting the floor hard, she heard heavy steps in the hallway, somebody pushing her door aside and stepping in. Turning up her head, she saw a stern, concerned look; the tall, solid figure the father she hadn't seen in three years now. "Kanako… are you alright?" He asked, lowering his hand for her to grab. The feeling of his warm grip on her made her feel… awkward, but she was too happy to care, her feet bouncing with a barely contained excitement, trying to hide the massive smile she wanted to put on her face.

"I'm fine, Father…" she replied somewhat cheerfully… her disturbance over her less-mature voice sounding almost like an awkward shyness, glancing around his arm. "I just… slipped." She'd always hated the way she used to sound… so nervous, so passive, almost like she was trying to make as little a sound as possible. However, she was glad she did now, because her father didn't expect a thing, merely giving her a fairly impersonal nod. "Can I talk to Oni-chan? It's really important."

"Your brother's on the phone with Grandma Hina." He told her, placing a hand on her head as she turned away. "You're not to disturb him."

"Yes father," she found herself answering reflexively, body tightening up as he walked out of the room, Kanako walking to her closest so she could change out of her pajamas. By getting on her tip toes, she was barley able to bump up on black, gothic dress with a white under layer down and put it on, stretching and straining as she tried to dress hersele. Her hand slid down the sleeve ruffles, and the hem of the dress, trying to get it down as fast as possible... her initial joy and excitement fading into nostalga , remembering how her beloved brother had used to help her get her cloths, and even help her dress if she was especially lucky. Now, though, she felt more rushed then calm; she could not allow today to play out as it had before, that terribly painful memory playing in the back of her mind…

"Big brother… where are you going?"

"Sorry Kanako… Mom and Dad said I have to go away for a while."

"Uh… did I…upset you?"

"No! Of course not. Granny just needs somebody to take care of the inn for her while she travels. Dad just thought I should get some practice for when she gives me the inn is all."

_"… you'll remember to send me letters?"_

_"Of course. I promised I'd write to you every month, didn't I?"_

_"… and… um… our other promise?"_

_"Don't'cha worry, Kanako… once you're all grown up, you can come and help me with the inn as much as you want. Until then, you can keep Granny company."_

_"… I… I… lo…"_

_"Silly Kanako. I love you too. I'll talk to you next month."_

But those letters had never come… and it wasn't because of some goat either. She could almost see that temptress standing behind her in the mirror, mocking her with that energy and perfectly formed body. She ran from the mirror, rushing into the hallway still in her pajamas, her slippers squeaking against the floor as she came into the kitchen, seeing her mother by the stove, cooking something in a pan, while Keitaro stood there at the phone. As she rushed in with so much energy, however, every eye in the room settled on her… Mother and Father's eyebrows raised, as she felt her body tighten up, old habits and emotions stirring up.

"… you're sure you should be traveling the world at your age, Granny?.. " Keitaro continued his conversation as thought nothing happened, Kanako gravitating towards his legs as she felt the looks of her parents.

"Mother…" she began to say, only to be silenced by a sharp whisper

"… Kanako sweetie…" her mother said in a harsh whisper, barely audible above the sound of boiling fluids and Keitro's speech. "Please settle down. Your brother is having a very important conversation."

She could feel her breathing getting a little more unsteady, listening to her brother in the background, on the verge of abandoning her… something starting to well up behind her eyes. "Please…" she started, speaking as quietly as possible as she slowly knelt to the ground, kowtowing towards her parents. "Please don't send Oni-chan away. " She begged, fingers gripping for purchase on the wooden floor. Her parents just looked at her critically, her father placing a hand to his temple as he looked down from his seat.

"This is a grown-up matter." He told her flatly, shaking his head slightly. "Your brother has already failed his entrance exams twice now, and we're not going to let him stay here forever… which reminds me." Kanako's heart sank as she heard those words. "There are still the matter of your mock high school entrance exams to deal with."

Her face flushed red when she heard that, staring down at the floor. "I… I'm trying." She managed to get out, glancing up at her brother slightly ashamed… seeing him stare at her in such a position while he kept talking with Grandma. "its hard…"

"We'll talk about this later dear." Her mother continued firmly, taking her pan off the stove and starting to prepare their breakfasts. "Now, get out of those pajama's so we can all start eating."

"… not until I know Oni-chan is going to be alright." She answered with some defiance, turning her forehead up from the floor to look her mother in the eyes… or, at least, through the veil her several strands of hair. "I'm not letting you take him away from me." She heard Keitaro pausing on the phone as the room filled with silence, her father gripping the table hard.

"You won't **let** us?" His voice lowering suddenly… almost threatening. " What has gotten into you?" Kanako firmed up her limbs, her eyes still half-closed and tear filled, as she took in a deep breath.

"Its… not fair that he has to leave." She began, almost sounding guilty. "Big brother is so close to getting into Tokyo U and I…" she paused, shuddering a little in side as she tried to admit it. "… and I… I 'm never going to get into high school. If anybody should leave, it should be me." It was only then she realized she'd been speaking out of a whisper, suddenly mortified when a voice came out of the phone.

"Kanako… is that you dear?" She heard to the wise, kindly tones of her Grandmother on the other end

Almost in a panic, she saw mother rush over from the stove and snatch the phone from her son's hand. "It's nothing, Hina-sama." She forced a laugh, trying to play off the whole situation, as Kanako looked up at her brother, standing up and rushing over to his leg, clinging tight… enjoying the warmth and breathing his smell in deeply, suddenly feeling at peace.

"If Oni-chan's going, then I'm going too." She huffed, wrapping herself tighter around him, Keitaro rubbing his neck awkwardly at the air-daggers he was receiving from their father.

"You are not going to Hinata, young lady." He spoke with a strong finality, though his death-glare seemed to be focused at Keitaro instead, who was clearly starting to sweat a little

"You can't be serious …" she heard her mother say, her normally calm and reserved face agape from whatever had been said during her father's conversation and her brother's forced chuckling. Suddenly, they both stopped, looking at the phone and listening carefully.

"Of course I am." They heard Hina say from the other end. "Keeping up that old place takes a lot of work… Keitaro could use a dedicated little girl like her to help him out. Besides, its certainly safer then my son's plan to tour the world and study the family jujutsu." Now, it was her father's turn to buckle, as his wife gave him a repulsed glance.

"But Hina-sama, how is Kanako ever going to get into a good school if she can't study?" She spoke worriedly, shuffling her feet on the floor. "I will not have my daughter."

"Relax. I have a number of very gifted tenants. There's the sweetest girl, top scores in her prefecture and prospective Tokyo University student. I'm sure she wouldn't mind give you daughter a few lessons, and much cheaper than any cram school." Kanako made a disgusted face at the mention of that girl, Naru… best _and _strongest student in the prefecture, as her countless hours of data-crunching had told her.

"Please…" she looked up at her mother, her eyes wide… pleading not to turn her love over to that she-witch. At first, she seemed unsure, but slowly, surely, that cute little look melted her heard, and she let out a small groan of defeat. "Alright. If it's alright with you, Kanako can help at the inn." Placing a hand over the receiver, she gave a sharp look. "But if anything happens, I expect you to send her straight home." She told Keitaro, who nodded vigorously.

Kanako's eyes sparkled as she looked up at her brother's shinning face, humbly trying to brush off this wonderful occasional as though it were nothing. That soft, toothless smile and closed eyes told her everything she needed to know… made her feel safe. "… Oni-san…" she said sofly, respectfully as she pulled off his knee. "… will you take me?"

He laughed warmly, placing a hand on her shoulder and holding firmly, but gentle. "Of course, Kanako. Let's look out for each other and make the most of it."

"It's a promise." She answered as she leaned in… planting a small, seemingly innocent kiss on his hip.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ding Ding Ding...** _

The clear tones of the bells above her finally pulled Kanako out of the trance the old street car's rumblings had sent her into. Everything quickly snapped back into focus: the dull, itchy seats shuddering beneath her, the discrepant mom and pop stores rushing past them through the window, and a soft warm radiating from her left; Keitaro's arm just a few inches to the side. A quick scan of the car showed the crowd had thinned out while she'd slept; a few old men in bathrobes and a single couple the only others who'd taken the line this far. Thoughts buzzed back to life, each more excited then the last, as she realized how close they must be getting. Already they verdant mountaintops that cradled the town could be seen above the rooftops, her glances out the front window showing the station was only a few hundred meters away. She grabbed onto the orange sleeve of her brother's jacket; pulling him away from whatever thoughts were hidden behind his sad-looking stare. "Oni-san," she whispered politely as she delivered a few soft tugs. "We're almost here."

It took a few moments for him to shake his ideas away, wide eyes and frown changing to something more neutral. "Oh... we are," he answered somewhat hollowly, Kanako locking on his eyes as he turned to face her. Despite keeping up a strong face, there was no hiding that sad longing and worry that lay just beneath it, soon to be hidden as he bent forward to grab the messenger bag from beneath his seat. _He can't be thinking about her... could he?_ Kanako thought as Keitaro moved beneath her eye level, her heart skipping a beat at the mere thought of defeat. _No... don't be silly. He's probably just nervous... as he should be._ The remaining few seconds of the ride gave her time to recover, any unease those thoughts having been pushed down when her brother emerged with his things slung over his shoulder.

She kept her strong grip on as arm as the pair of them stood up; a dark blue schoolbag and powder blue dress the only pieces of her old life she carried with her. The station was a backwater place with little more then a few benches and an outbuilding, their fellow travelers giving the pair little mind as the young man they'd seen in passing glances walked off almost mechanically; a girl much to small and slim for her age trying to keep up with his much longer strides.

It was almost enough to make her feel thankful for the obscuring fog rising off the river, more then once she nearly tripped over herself and those clunky, childish shoes as she tried to keep some footing on the wet surface. _Stop making a fool of yourself_ she chastised silently, wincing as a truck zoomed by on the opposite side of the bridge. As if trying to hide her involvement, she began peaking over her shoulder only to notice a sudden surge in the cloud on all their sides, a dark outline breaking it's way out of the haze beyond.

She could only watch as the figure came closer, appearing to eerily glide across the surface despite a shuffle that said otherwise. The pair of siblings pinning their backs against one another, Kanako recoiling at the sight before her: a dead-eyed, unblinking glare coming from the deeply wrinkled face of one of the elders who'd been snoring on the car, the basket atop his head casting a shadow over much of his face.

"All memories fade into time." He mumbled, his voice depressed and seeming to echo on itself. For a moment, he stood silently, only to speak again just as she felt her brother's torso rise with breath behind her. "Soon enough, most waste into nothing." An awkward chuckle rose behind her, the old man not moving a muscle as his eyes burrowed into her hers. Almost immediately, she looked down at her feet; the cold, twisting feeling of shyness flaring in her gut. Don't hurt me... she found herself thinking, trying to back away only to press herself harder against Keitaro's back. Just as she was about to run out of space, however, he finally took a step to the side, walking around them as though nothing had happened, shuffling side by side with two other men in identical robe as the sudden rise in the mist seemed to dissipate.

Once she realized exactly what she was doing, Kanako quickly loosened her death-grip and bulled her head from the small of her beloved's back; trying to move to his side as though nothing had ever happened. There, Keitaro's face was looking down at her, blinking a few times as he tried to work the intensity out of his eyes. She bit down on her lower lip, trying to stop the quiver she'd only just become aware of, taking comfort in the assuring smile she received in response.

"Heh... that was kind of silly, wasn't it?" He questioned her, guiding them over to the other side of the bridge with no small urgency. "Properly wandered away from his family, poor guy." Yes, that made the most sense: probably just a lonely old man, going on about his mind going. Still, that didn't stop his memory from putting her off-ease; the fact he and his fellow wanderers were still loitering around some of the unoccupied benches along the riverbank and occasionally turning to look at them not entirely convincing her he wasn't some kind of creeper. The best she could do was not encourage them by looking back, casually looking at the stalls on the opposite side of the main ally. During this trough in the festival season, of course, that wasn't much besides a few trinket shops, a few restaurants that catered to the locals, and... THAT.

The moment she saw them, she found her gaze locked: the pink and turquoise standing out against the surrounding earth tones of the village streets she was staring down at. But it was what was inside the smock formed by those colors that she cared about, distressed and familiar face of a girl not much younger then herself. A face she'd come to know all too well, continuing to look even as oni-san lead them towards the narrow alleys, up to where Granny's inn was. There was no doubt in her mind she'd seen what that body was going to develop into; though 'develop' might be a bit of a strong word here.

_Shinobu Maehara. Should be 13... no 12, Junior High school student, expert cook, socially inept... and loli seductress_. Digging into her mind for those endless hours she'd spent gathering and reviewing the profiles for Hinata's residents, Kanako's inner voice began list off all the data she'd meticulously pulled together on her youngest rival. Not that much of it would be of use at this point: according to the records she wouldn't even start staying at the Dormitory for around another week...

"Kanako..." She suddenly heard, realizing her line of sight was just about to disappear behind one of the shops. "Watcha looking at?" A chill ran down her spine as she heard and felt the larger figure lean out from behind her, his eyes following hers to the sad little girl on the stone benches.

_Gods..._ she noticed a frightened idea stabbed it's way through the droning list of trivia. Need an excuse, need an excuse...

"The girl looks lonely," she let the first sane-sounding reason she thought of flow directly to her mouth; all filters bypassed as she tried to avoid looking suspicious or unnerved. And it wasn't as though that wasn't true; everybody moving by, mostly in pairs or groups, passing her by without so much as a glance.

"Yeah... she kind of does," Keitaro responded, bending down to his knees to get a look from her angle. With her brother's attention focused on that display, Kanako no longer felt comfortable averting her own glance... forced to face the opportunity she'd missed by her incessant spying. _If Maehara doesn't meet oni-san... if they never see him bring some order to that hellhole... would her parent's even let her... no, don't look up._

* * *

How could she have done that?

Only a few stray whimpers escaped Shinobu as she sat hunched over on the city bench, hands resting in her lap. It was as if every drop of blood had been drained from her body; skin pale and clammy as she shuddered and sobbed. Those people passing by, smiling and speaking freely to one another; they seemed such a world away she didn't dare even look up at them. All she could do was try understand what had possessed her to rush out like that, abandoning her poor mother to pack up what was supposed to be her mess.

_Why?_ the word was constantly haunting her panicked thoughts. It wasn't as if her mother had asked anything unreasonable. She'd just wanted to know how the process of transferring out was going. There was nothing to be afraid of, and yet she'd frozen up and deflected the question all the same. Just as she had the last time somebody tried to make a connection with her... and the time before that... and the time before that. Every time she'd tried to approach one of her classmates, or one of them tried to talk to her, something almost like fear just flooded into her and she just had to get away as fast as possible. But that was something she'd long grown used to with girls her own age. Even if things did get a little lonely from time to time, she'd always been able to find comfort in a hug or a kind word from her parents.

But now that fear had begun following her even there, working it's way through the cracks of her crumbling life. Just beneath the footsteps and idle conversations she could hear the hard, loveless words that had come to surround her, trapping her in that little mental world. Loudest of all though were her mother's heartfelt pleas, despairing her selfish father and begging Shinobu not to leave her alone "I'm sorry..." she whispered to herself, sinking deeper into the guilt and apologizing for what she'd done. "Of course I love you mommy... just stop yelling." She could almost feel that disapproving look of her protector pinning her down from somewhere, chastising her like the disobedient child she.

Her head shot up as a natural reaction, trying to look away from that terrible feeling. The world just kept passing her by, the village elders standing in their usual spot, the foot traffic focused more concerned with enjoying their visit to the town, giving their attention to the bright and happy stalls rather then a crying schoolgirl. Not that she blamed them; after all, who would go out of their way to... Ah?

Shinobu watched as another young girl carefully walked her way across the street, taking hesitant steps as she was coaxed forward by a spectacled man. Is she... coming towards me? she thoughts, fingers fiddling self-consciously as the stranger continued forward with seemingly just as many reserves. Every few steps she would stop, glancing over her shoulder expectantly and only moving forward when man who'd sent her out gave a thumbs-up, her face hidden by her long bangs whenever she looked forward. _She doesn't go to my school... why is she moving like that? Does she want to talk to me?_ It wasn't long before the stranger was upon her, standing a respectful distance away while shuffling her feet.

"Are... are you feeling alright?" The girl spoke quietly, a stutter cutting into her words. She seemed far too nervous to keep up a smile, lips pursed as she struggled to force herself to speak.

"I'm fine," she responded without thinking, trying to throw on a fake smile to put this new girl at ease. The girl's unchanging expression showed she was clearly failing, quickly reaching up to wipe wet lines from her face.

The person before her continued to stand silently, unwilling to either speak or look up while constantly looking as though she was going to take a step back. Watching her trying to gather her words, oddly enough, made Shinobu start feeling a bit calmer, before she was caught off guard by a deep, seemingly well-practiced bow.

"Oh... my apologies," the words seemed to tumble over one another as they tried to get out, her torso flying back up at a pace to match. "I didn't mean to pry. You just appeared troubled and..." She quickly turned her face to the side as it grew redder, giving Shinobu a brief glimpse of her eyes.

_This girl is kinda weird_ she found herself thinking. Everything about her just seemed so out of her element, form her frilly cloths to the overly formal speech and increasingly conflicted stance. Yet, there was something comforting about how polite and genuine she seemed to be, just the thing Shinobu needed to pull herself out of this funk. It was finally a conversation that allowed for equal footing: and it wasn't one she was going to let end so unceremoniously.

"It's alright," she tried to help her new conversation partner get comfortable with a smile, seeing the anxious frown on the raven-haired girl's face continue to fade in response. "I'm not hurt or anything, so you don't need to worry." It was clear her content façade was wavering as she fell under a hard, analytical gaze, guilt flaring up at having lied to an innocent girl.

"Don't be so coy Ma-eh," the other girl placed a hand to her lips, stopping what sounded like the beginnings of a giggle. "You must forgive me, I just realized I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Kanako Urashima, it is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"Um... the honor is mine Urashima-san," Shinobu straightened up , caught off guard and suddenly worried about insulting such a well-mannered girl with a poor response. The Urashima name had an important place in Hinata after all, being the owners of what had once been the towns largest tourist destination. Father had told her a few stories about the old Hinata Inn, how it once attracted tourists the world over until old lady Hina converted it into some ner-do-well girls dormitory for some godforsaken reason. If he even saw her talking to an Urashima...

"Shinobu Maehara. Nice to meet you." The two shook hands; this Kanako having a surprisingly firm grip for somebody of her size. She could look past her acquaintance's shoulder and see the face of the man she'd been standing by, waiting patiently for her return. A shallow nod showed his approval, his face in a silently laugh as he watched the pair of them. _Is that her father? No, he's far too young _ she thought as her wandering eyes settled onto his. For that split second, it almost looked like that adoring look and warm smile had been meant for her, the next heartbeat noticeably stronger then the last.

As their hands broke Kanako took a seat beside her, her dressed swooshing as she settled herself in. It was hard to remember who said exactly what next; the next few minutes noticeably overshadowed by that powerful moment. Whomever had kicked it off, though, the greetings quickly developed into a casual conversation. Perhaps it was the awkward beginning giving her nerves a chance to normalize, or the fact there were no expectations, but as the exchange went on the little wallflower realized she hadn't once felt the urge to go silent or excuse herself. Kanako always asked just the right questions to keep her at ease; avoiding any mention of her emotional breakdown or the kind of gossip and fashion talk that seemed the domain of the popular kids. They went on and on about novels or manga they'd read, hobbies and favorite things. Shinobu must have talked her ear off about the difference between her favorite food to eat and favorite food to prepare, but never once did the other girl show any sign of annoyance; sitting their quietly and clearly absorbing every word she'd been saying.

She probably would have continued on forever, had it not been for Kanako's escort eventually walking over to join them; his shadow falling over the pair before Shinobu had even realized he'd been approaching. "Mind introducing me to your friend, Kanako?" Her heart pulsed once again, this time from surprise, as she became conscious of just how long they'd been sitting there; scrunching up on herself as she tried to avoid panic

"This is Shinobu Maehara," "Shinobu Maehara, Urashima-Sempai," Shinobu shouting out into the streets even as Kanako was in the middle of introducing her, adding another knot to the nervous coil that was reforming in her gut. _Calm down..._ she repeated over and over again in her head, trying to relax as Kanako started dispensing a handful of the more interesting facts she'd shared. The last thing mother and father need right now is you making a scene... just hold out a little longer.

"Oh, and her family also runs the Hinata Restaurant," Kanako finished, managing not to react to her more frantic vibes, turning to Shinobu and teasing her with the faintest ghost of a smile. "Maybe I could come by and try some of that udon you like making so much?"

_Wait... no..._ Shinobu's thoughts grew less and less coherent, biting her tongue as she realized what she hadn't mentioned. _After she was so nice... how could I have lead her on like that?_ Hands straight to her side, the junior high student shot to her feet, the feeling of panic bubbling back to the surface. "Sorry, I'm already late," she managed to choke out, darting out before anybody could hear the resurgence of her sobs.

* * *

_At long last_ Kanako let out a sigh as she watched her potential rival turn tail. _That felt like an eternity_. The conversation had been absolutely mind-numbing to her: forced to avoid any new interesting information and just continue prying for facts she already knew in an effort to make the child feel comfortable. For the time being though, a crisis had been averted: that little trollop was gone without having exchanged so much as a full sentence with her brother, while he remained none the wiser as to the real reason for her stares. All it took was a disappointed look and a few "Eh?"s to finish the show, drawing a comforting hand to her shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up,ok?" Keitaro guided her back to her feet as they finally lost sight of Shinobu around a corner. "You were doing great... she probably just lost track of time." She knew he was just trying to assure her, build up her fragile social confidence, but that didn't stop her from melting under his praise. "Come on now, Granny's probably starting to get a little worried about us."

The implications of those words just flew over Kanako's still-giddy thought stream, dutifully following along as he guided them back across the streets and through the low-lying sections of Hinata. Through all the shadowy spaces the light and green that marked the bottom of the hill grew closer and closer: everything seeming so much grander from this height with the trees leaning up to guide them to their destiny. It was so picturesque, so inviting; but behind the homely facade she could already sense the nest of vipers that infested it. _The drunkard, the man-hater, the madwoman , the harpy;_ a memory of the tortures they'd inflected flashing each step she took up the great stairway.

Her deepest emotions cried out to stop, to turn around while she still could and never looked back. Anything at all would have to be better the the nightmare he was unwittingly walking into. Her movements became more and more hesitant. But what could she say; that that their grandmother was trying to take advantage of his generous nature and abandon him to three years of endless suffering? That the women he was meant to manage would instead seize control of his life? He would just think she was just afraid of the older and more intense girls, just the imagination of a an introvert shoved into a new crowd. Besides slightly more hesitant steps she made no effort to slow them down as Keitaro took in the scenery until, finally, they were standing in the front plaza looking up at the well-worn walls and overhang

"Granny's inn," she said wistfully, quickly taking stock of the entry hall to verify nobody would be there to bother them. The only sign of movement was a shadow passing by one of the window screens, heading right towards the hot springs (and more importantly, away from them). "It's been so long."

"It has hasn't it." Keitaro responded, his voice tinted strongly with nostalgia. "Boy does this bring back memories. How many years has it been?" His neck was constantly moving and his breathing deep, completely engrossed taking in as much of the old place as possible as he took the lead inside. "Mom and dad used to take us here all the time as kids... wonder why they stopped coming?"

Kanako made sure to stick tightly to her brother's side, acting as a shield from any stray eyes. It was clear he'd been lost in his thoughts as he blatantly waltzed past the establishment's new sign, but so perhaps if he was accompanying a girl it might make a slightly better impression? She quickly made efforts to harness the genuine worry she was feeling, shaping them into those expressions she'd just seen on Shinobu's face. Anybody who looked at her emotional mask would probably assume she was just a schoolgirl frightened about moving away from home. The rest of her body slipped it's way into character, shortening her steps and fiddling with her fingers, doing her best to keep a lookout for any any signs of movement.

They roamed the endless, seemingly empty halls; most of the many rooms long vacant. The lack of maintenance going on was clear as day; the murky windows, dirty floors, and occasional door leaning out of it's groove just the tip of the iceberg. It was clear the girls here cared little for the wonderful place they were living in. Kanako scoffed as they moved deeper into the wing, constantly peaking behind her for any sign of another soul, her brother covering the opposite direction as he continued his fruitless search for Hina.

"Great, nobody's home," he finally grumbled as they exited onto one of the open-air walkways; finally giving Kanako a clear look at the majestic view of the valley below. The mountains, the little streets, the outdoor bath...

_No_ Kanako quickly locked onto the pink-brown blob contrasting against the water. The facing towards them. Looking in their general direction. Standing up and leaning forward as Kanako stood by helplessly, much to far to do anything about what was to happen even if she somehow had a plan.

**"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**


End file.
